BLUE
MAY 2026
BEST IN SHOW
JAY JOHANSEN
**SAPPHIRE ARTIST OF THE YEAR 2024**
* ECHOES BENEATH THE BLUE *
Acrylic
“My art explores identity, emotion and legacy. Through portraits I capture not just likeness but essence, using bold palettes and textures to evoke nostalgia, intrigue and reflection inviting viewers to connect with deeper stories. Legacy, history & experience — that’s what makes the story telling, by way of oil & acrylic mediums — approachable, relevant & enduring.” — JAY JOHANSEN
GOLDEN TRIO AWARD
NIKOLA GOCIC
**RUBY ARTIST OF THE YEAR 2025**
* HER LOVER, A DEMON CALLED CUMULUS *
* THEIR ENVY TASTES LIKE CHEWING GUM * * ANTHROPOMORPHIC CELESTIAL ENTITY *
Digital collage
“Cotton Candy Chronicles: If ‘eight’ represents eternity, does that make ‘four’ one half of eternity and the sum of these two – the core of the unfathomable Beyond? And if the answer is ‘yes’, how does one measure the immeasurable? Is it by means of the clouds’ inconsistency or should the stars be involved in the equation? Does the moment they explode reveal something about the inner demons, like the brightest color of their rapture or the stubbornness of their dreams’ geometry? Who defines the defiant nature of pain they bring into the world that revels in apathy and its faithful companion, the naivety of compassion? Why bother to talk, when the silence of Image plays the most beautiful music?” — NIKOLA GOCIC
GOLDEN TRIO AWARD
GABRIELE GRACINE
**EMERALD ARTIST OF THE YEAR 2021**
SAPPHIRE AWARD
ANNITA APOSTOLIDOU PLATIS
**EMERALD ARTIST OF THE YEAR 2025**
* DEPTH VIEW *
Mixed media digital collage
“Depth View is a meditation on perception as protection. I cover the figure's eyes not to refuse the world but to recalibrate her gaze, to see through rather than simply look. Sight is not denied; it is refined. Behind her, hydrangeas and anemones bloom with quiet intensity, their golden centers extending into delicate threads like suspended memories or unseen connections. The floral field is not ornamental; it is encoded, suggesting inheritance and inner mapping. Her kimono bears my monogram in Japanese, a subtle assertion of authorship within stillness. Blue saturates the composition with the weight of thought, introspective, immersive and infinite. The gesture remains gentle, never defensive. She sees — but only what matters. And what matters lives beneath the surface.” — ANNITA APOSTOLIDOU PLATIS
SAPPHIRE AWARD
KENNETH RICCI
**SAPPHIRE ARTIST OF THE YEAR 2025**
* BETTER *
Cut/paste paper collage
"I work in a sort of literary/philosophical framework so within that context my reference points are the parables of Kafka and the aphorisms of Kierkegaard. Because elements determine content, the process of creation is both constrained and liberated by the available elements at any given time and it is the improvised procedure of choice, assembly and judgment that settles the argument" — KENNETH RICCI
SAPPHIRE AWARD
CATHERINE ARCHER-WILLS
* IMMERSION 02 *
Acrylic, paper collage, frottage
“I am a nature-inspired, mixed-media artist based in Oslo, exploring ecology, interconnection and emotional wellbeing through layered, intuitive processes. My work draws on experiences of water, woodland and microscopic ecosystems — shifting between reflective surfaces, forest floors and hidden organic structures. Using reclaimed papers, collage, printmaking techniques and direct impressions from bark, stone and other natural textures, I build surfaces that hold traces of place, time and lived experience. These materials carry their own histories, becoming part of a process that is accumulative, adaptive and interconnected — mirroring the systems I observe in nature. Across my work runs a shared theme of moving through difficulty toward renewal and the quiet resilience found in the natural world. I aim to create spaces for reflection, inviting viewers to slow down, notice and reconnect.” — CATHERINE ARCHER-WILLS
SAPPHIRE AWARD
LILLIANNE DAIGLE
* MULTIVERSE *
Digital
“I find joy and excitement in capturing and communicating the essence of a moment, whether it be the energy of a situation or the nostalgia of a memory. I strive to create a sense of "being there" for the viewer. My artistic journey has evolved from painting and traditional printmaking to photography and digital art. In my digital prints, I either begin with a clean slate or use scanned fragments of my artwork or photographs that I have taken and then modify, blend and manipulate them with various computer graphics programs.” — LILLIANNE DAIGLE
SAPPHIRE AWARD
ERIN ZATRINE
* ANTIQUE BLUE *
Photography
“Flower photography has become my passion. You will find me at flower festivals as well as garden tours taking any opportunity I can to capture floral beauty although I am making a conscious effort to branch out in my subject matter. My intention is to create joy for others through my images.” — ERIN ZATRINE
CRYSTAL AWARD
(in random order)
AWARD OF MERIT
(in random order)
(in random order)
HONOURABLE MENTION
(in random order)
FINALISTS
**WINNERS VIDEO**